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Vezima
Vezima, classical Elven spelling Vzyme (lit. 'Land of Monsters') is the easternmost island on Erda. Situated more than two months from the nearest Verevorene port by galleon, Vezima has led a solitary existence for several centuries, interrupted only by brief explosions of conflict. Its distant location, lack of useful natural resources, and harsh environment have resulted in it being one of the few kingdoms of Erda not conquered by Verevor as of 4490 (or 3E 144 in Druidic Notation). Once an island fully uninhabited by sapient races, Vezima's vicious ecosystem made it ideal for a prison colony for fledgling empires in the early twentieth century. Convicts were dumped on the mainland and surrounding isles when deemed too dangerous to be left alive, but undeserving of the death penalty. This self-preservative mercy was lampooned internationally, and Vezima gained a reputation for being far worse than the death penalty among prisoners and citizens alike. Though initially intended as a prison for society's most unhinged, reason prevailed, and the survivors banded into groups to build lives for themselves. Centuries later, the descendants of these warrior clans would come to form the population of the island. History Immemorial-2202 (Dark Era) At some point before year zero, a submarine volcanic eruption formed the Veziman islands. Originally discovered in 1888 by Sir Patrick of Cariss, the second voyage to Vezima would not be conducted until summer of 1901, led by the legendary warrior Torinn, claiming the land for the then-tiny nation of Verevor. This expedition proved disastrous, though, as a result of a series of unlikely events and poor decisions made by thr group. The spiritual adviser to the group suggested that the flag be planted atop the highest peak in the land, that it may be witnessed by the gods; despite protests from the rest of the group, Torinn insisted that they make the perilous journey, even without the requisite supplies. Records are scarce of their time on the mountain, but accounts copied into The Codex suggest fewer than thirty of the original 45-man team descended the mountain after a period of two weeks, with many dying of exposure, starvation, and disease. Settling for a more possible alternative, Torrin led the group up what is now Mount Astoria, planting the flag and naming it for his queen (and secret lover), Queen Astoria of Verevor. Descending the mountain, the group returned to the beach where they landed to find their dinghies torn to shreds by a storm the previous night. Blaming the spiritual adviser for leading them astray, Torrin crucified him, fashioning a cross from pieces of destroyed boat. With his dying breath, the cleric cursed Torinn, invoking the name of their shared god of the sea. Be it by luck or divine intervention, a tidal wave crashed into the beach that very night, killing every pioneer but Torinn. Unable to hail his longship, Torinn fashioned a raft from his bloated comrades, using the cross as a frame for his watercraft. Days passed before he was recovered by the main longship, which transported him back to Verevor where he received the highest honor, the Astorian Cross. The stress of this event is widely considered a driving force between his suicide two years later, in 1904. Vezima sat undisturbed for nearly a century following the tumultuous 'Torrin Disaster', partially because of the war waged between Verevor and Septannis those years and partially because popular opinion deemed the island haunted. Following the conclusion of the Fifty Year's War, Verevorene royalty was faced with a dilemma: their hard fought victory came with hordes of prisoners of war and rioters overflowing the prisons. Knowledgeable of an island infamous for its fatal landscape, Queen Astoria IV passed a resolution to ship six thousand prisoners to Vezima. These would be the first permanent residents of the island. 2022 - 2818 (First Era) Left with two-hundred hatchets, one hundred dogs, and a bale of seeds, the six thousand prisoners were dropped on the southernmost beach - what would later become the Ashlands - in November 2022.